Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Specific Marijuana Strains

Overview

Published: 11/23/2011

by David A

Photos

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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is “an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event.” It is not unusual for PTSD patients to suffer from sleep deprivation due to anxiety, pain, or several other conditions associated with PTSD.

It is vital for PTSD patients to receive sufficient sleep, mainly because sleep correlates with positive health & well-being. Reports indicate that as many as 70% to 91% of patients with PTSD report difficulty falling asleep or staying awake. PTSD is often associated with the cluster of intrusive recollections of traumatic events that patients often suffer repetitive dreams about.

According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, treatment with adrenergic blocking agents has been shown to improve PTSD related nightmares. Take, for example, the use of Prazosin in order to treat PTSD related nightmares. The medication is used to treat high blood pressure, but also has severe side effects like an irregular heartbeat or a painful erection of the penis that lasts for hours.

Considering the fact that a vast majority of PTSD patients are male war veterans, an alternative medicine is a great path for PTSD sleep-deprived patients to take. The alternative medicine I am referring to, of course, is medical marijuana!

As noted earlier in my insomnia article, medical marijuana patients should medicate with an indica or indica heavy hybrid. The reason why patients should avoid sativas is because this particular medicine tends to intensify brain activity & interrupt sleep.

Sleep progresses through a series, referred to as “stages of sleep,” in which different brain wave patterns throughout each stage. Out of the 5 stages, stage 3 is particularly important because it is the transitional period between light sleep & a very deep sleep.

Quick resinous indicas have been reported by PTSD patients to be highly effective in stage 3 & 4, as well as stage 5 referred to as “Rapid Eye Movement.” Patients should also look for marijuana that has short flowering times. The reason for this is because marijuana that is high in THC & low in Cannabinoids (CBD) is most useful for sleep deprived PTSD patients. Marijuana plants that have short flowering times have a larger percantage of THC than CBD. Specific strains like “Clever Man” & “Boy Wonder, as well as any Afghani indica, have been reported to be most useful.

Sleep is the basis for PTSD patients to get better. Because this disorder often does not allow these patients to receive a sufficient amount of sleep, medical marijuana is an efficient medicine to help with PTSD. PTSD patients should make sure to always medicate with an indica strain, especially the suggestions above!